


Like a Lighthouse

by pop_rock_island



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Christmas Fluff, F/M, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-25 23:39:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17130896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pop_rock_island/pseuds/pop_rock_island
Summary: A voice an be a far greater comfort than any other.





	Like a Lighthouse

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TheAceOfHearts](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAceOfHearts/gifts).



> My secret santa present for TheAceofHearts. Merry Christmas!

It had been well over a month since Link had awoken and re-entered into the world. The cold, biting air of the hebra mountains was more bitter than he could recall; although, he still couldn't recall much of anything. It was getting to a point where it was nearly draining; almost constantly on the edge of recollection, and scratching at a wall in his mind. Every time he saw something it seemed to speak to him in a young woman’s voice. Even then.

With a small sneeze Link sniffled and wrapped his arms around himself. Sitting on a tree stump, near the edge of a snowy trail, he still wasn't sure why he had gone to the mountains in the first place. It was something about the days; everytime one passed by it told him to venture out there. Each one was more urgent. And now that he was there, alone, he couldn't help but feel like he was missing something. He felt he was in the right place, and still, there was nothing. But the days didn't tell him anything anymore.

“Link…”

Link let his head hang back and closed his eyes as he gave out a steady breath. That was the voice. A young woman's voice. Soft, filled with breath, and soothing like warmth in the cold. He didn't hear her often, but when he did it was like the wall he was scratching at caved a little. And yet somehow it grew thicker, as if her voice caused him to dig his nails deeper and that was its response.

“The harder you try to remember something, the harder it is to remember it,” her voice spoke as if she were in front of him.

Link hummed through nodding. That was certainly what it felt like.

“Did you know that?”

Link lifted himself back into an upright position and opened his eyes. Upon then his chest tightened. Long, golden hair against the pure white of the landscape like a lighthouse. It ran down the back of her snowy parka.

“Maybe that's why I'm having such a hard time remembering the last time I was up here,” she continued through an amused smile. As quickly as her smile grew, it withered and fainted. “I've been so busy with this… well, you know. I just--”

As if someone had interrupted her, she stopped and turned, presumably, to where the voice had come from, as Link hadn't heard anything. When he followed her gaze it led him to another person. He was bewildered to see himself standing before her.

“You're right,” the girl went on through a defeated sigh, agreeing with words that hadn't even been said. “We're here to have fun and forget about all of that for a while. I wouldn't hear the end of it from Urbosa if she found me to still be stressing over everything,” she added, the thought drawing a small laugh from her.

Zelda, Link thought to himself as his own apparition offered her a warming smile. Princess Zelda.

“So then!” Zelda started, clasping her hands together. “What would you have us do first? Build a snowman? Oh, or how about a snowball fight? I don't like fighting much but I think I could make an exception.”

This happened, I remember this, Link thought to himself. The feeling of nothing began to fade as he let the memory course through him. Almost becoming lost, he leaned back and closed his eyes.

“Oh, oh, do you know what else we could do?” Zelda perked up, seemingly more excited at the activity she was about to suggest than the previous ones. “Sled racing! We could use a shield, right? But that does seem a bit reckless…”

Content came over Link as he listened to Zelda prattle through some safer alternatives. After an abrupt yanking of one of his sleeves, he realized he was listening less to her words and more to her voice.

“Link? Are you listening to me?” Zelda asked, her brows furrowed and her lips slanted. She hummed skeptically when Link quickly nodded. “Right. Let's find a good place to start building then. It won't do to have a snowman in the middle of the path.”

With that she led him to a smooth dip in the rock face along the path. It was the perfect space to put a snowman. Setting her determined hands on her hips, Zelda nodded. She'd never built a snowman before, but she had a good idea of how to do it. As such she lead the charge, scooping up some snow in her hands and trying to compact it. Fortunately it wasn't too powdery.

The two of them proceeded through the next fifteen or so minutes building their snowman. Zelda did the base, while Link did the torso. Together they made the head. Link had never seen a snowman with such a misshapen base before. If he spoke, he may have been liable to tease her about it.

“Now, where are some stones we can use for her face?” Zelda wondered aloud, settling right there that they'd built a snowwoman and not a snowman. She crossed her arms and held her chin in her hand as she surveyed the area; however, the only rocks in sight were much too large. All of the small ones must have been buried under all the snow. “Drat,” she sighed as her shoulders fell. “I guess we can't finish her face.”

Link watched her push another sigh. Although they had--more or less--completed her desire to build a snowman, Zelda didn't seem particularly fulfilled. Gently he placed a hand on her shoulder, catching her attention.

“What is it?” she asked, taking in his expression. “Ah, I don't know. I guess I still kind of want to go sledding. But there's nothing really to use. A shield is kind of small to sit on, and I don't know how to shield surf.”

Link shifted his weight to one leg as he thought about her ordeal. Shield surfacing was a fun activity, if he could say so himself, and he didn't want Zelda to leave the Hebra Mountains feeling disappointed. He supposed there was only one thing to do.

“What're you--” Zelda was interrupted by Link pulling her along the path. “Where are we going?”

Link smiled to himself as he stopped them in front of a hill. A hill not too steep, and not too long. Just perfect for someone to learn how to shield surf. Quickly he pulled his shield from his back and set it down in the snow, right before the beginning of the hill's descent.

Feeling a bit unsure, Zelda cautiously watched Link as he hopped onto the shield and steadied himself. “Are you gonna teach me how to shield surf?” she asked.

Answering with nothing more than a simple thumbs up, Link took care in showing her the proper form before pushing himself down the slope. His balance faltered for not even a moment, and Zelda wanted to say it was just because he wasn't going particularly fast, but she knew he'd probably maintain the same composure at higher speeds.

Once Link reached the bottom of the hill he jumped off the shield and turned to face Zelda, holding his arms out to the side as if to tell her “it's easy.”

“I don't know…” Zelda said as Link jogged back uphill. “What if I get hurt?”

All Link gave in response was a shrug. He wasn't going to push her, but he did want her to try something new. Especially because she wanted to go sledding, and surfing was the next best thing.

“I know,” Zelda pursed her lips. “It's my decision…” Taking a measured breath, she closed her eyes. “Okay! Let's try it then!”

An excited smile overcame Link's lips as he set the shield down in the same place he'd had it before. He figured she could follow his path, and that would make it easier.

“Alright, so, like this?” Zelda asked in reference to her posture.

Without thinking Link reached forward and placed his hands on her stomach and the small of her back respectively, pushing her into a more optimal stance. When he pulled back to give her a lookover, he noticed her face was more red than it had been previously.

“I-... is this good, then?” Zelda half mumbled, her demeanor a bit ginger.

It was then that Link realized that putting his hands on her like he had was a bit thoughtless. Admittedly he was eager for her to try shield surfing for the first time, and not only that but to help her with it as well. He, however, didn't want to put any weight on it and embarrass either of them further, so he ignored it.

“Okay,” Zelda responded to Link's enthusiastic thumbs up. “So I just push back now, off my foot?”

When Link gave a fast nod, Zelda did exactly that. Link had chosen a good hill, she noted, but as she tipped over its edge she suddenly felt it was a lot steeper.

What started out as a fun and exciting activity quickly turned to alarm as Link watched Zelda almost immediately topple over and roll down the hill. His mouth sat agape as her body awkwardly came to a stop at the bottom.

“Link!” she called, her voice muffled through the snow.

Zelda's voice broke him from his thoughts and he immediately sprinted down the hill. Ah jeez, ah jeez, ah jeez, ah jeez, he repeated to himself while hoping she wasn't hurt. Upon reaching her he stumbled to a stop and crouched down beside her. It was fortunate that there was so much snow around so her descent wasn't too turbulent.

“I think…” Zelda gasped as Link helped her sit up. “I think I sprained my ankle.”

Link glanced down with wide eyes at her ankle, then nodded slowly as he took in the situation. It did, in fact, look like she rolled her ankle. It didn't take long for guilt to begin forming in his head, but it quickly dissipated at the abrupt and surprising sound of Zelda's laughter.

“I fell over so quickly,” she breathed through her laughs as she leaned back on her elbows. “I thought I'd at least make it a little farther.”

Link leaned forward, as if he were going to speak an apology, but Zelda quickly interrupted him.

“Don't worry, it's not your fault,” she assured him. “I do like trying new things, and that was an experience,” After a small pause, Zelda spoke again. This time more sheepish. “I think you may need to carry me back to Rito Village.”

Link gave a relieved breath, then a smile. Carrying was something he was good at.

Their walk back was relatively silent, seeing as Link was mostly mute and Zelda felt a tad embarrassed by having to be carried. They were almost back, the village in sight, when Link could feel the cold returning.

“Thank you, Link,” Zelda whispered as she tightened her arms around him. “It's been awhile since I forgot about everything we've been working towards. I know that kind of sounds like a bad thing, that I would forget about it. No, it is, but… well. Thanks.”

Even moreso, Link could feel the cold reaching further around him, through Zelda and against his back. It was like she was disappearing, but he could still feel her weight and her arms around his shoulders.

“I’ll never forget today,” Zelda went on, her voice fading. “And I hope we can do it again next year.”

One by one everything began to dwindle. Zelda, her warmth, her breath, and altogether he was no longer walking but seated on a tree stump along a mountain path. The last two things to leave him was the feeling of Zelda’s arms around his shoulders, and the gentleness of her whispering in his ear.

“Merry Christmas, Link.”

As the last syllable caressed his skin, he opened his eyes to find himself without the gold of the sun against the cold winter backdrop. Alone. Though when he closed his eyes again and breathed, he felt he wasn’t as alone as he once was.


End file.
